The spinal motion segment consists of a unit of spinal anatomy bounded by two vertebral bodies, including the two vertebral bodies, the interposed intervertebral disc, as well as the attached ligaments, muscles, and the facet joints. The disc consists of the end plates at the top and bottom of the vertebral bones, the soft inner core, called the nucleus and the annulus fibrosis running circumferentially around the nucleus. In normal discs, the nucleus cushions applied loads, thus protecting the other elements of the spinal motion segment. A normal disc responds to compression forces by bulging outward against the vertebral end plates and the annulus fibrosis. The annulus consists of collagen fibers and a smaller amount of elastic fibers, both of which are effective in resisting tension forces. However, the annulus is not very effective in withstanding compression and shear forces.
As people age the intervertebral discs often degenerate. This degeneration of the intervertebral discs may lead to degenerative disc disease. Degenerative disc disease of the spine is one of the most common conditions causing pain and disability in our population. When a disc degenerates, the nucleus dehydrates. When a nucleus dehydrates, its ability to act as a cushion is reduced. Because the dehydrated nucleus is no longer able to bear loads, the loads are transferred to the annulus and to the facet joints. The annulus and facet joints are not capable of withstanding the applied compression and torsional loads, and as such, they gradually deteriorate. As the annulus and facet joints deteriorate, many other effects ensue, including the narrowing of the interspace, bony spur formation, fragmentation of the annulus, fracture and deterioration of the cartilaginous end plates, and deterioration of the cartilage of the facet joints. The annulus and facet joints lose their structural stability and subtle but pathologic motions occur between the spinal bones.
As the annulus loses stability it tends to bow out and may develop a tear allowing nuclear material to extrude. Breakdown products of the disc and facet joint, including macroscopic chunks, microscopic particles, and noxious biochemical substances build up. These breakdown products stimulate sensitive nerve endings in and around the disc, producing low back pain and sometimes, sciatica. Affected individuals experience muscle spasms, reduced flexibility of the low back, and pain when ordinary movements of the trunk are attempted.
Degenerative disc disease is irreversible. In some cases, the body will eventually stiffen the joints of the motion segment, effectively re-stabilizing the discs. Even in the cases where re-stabilization occurs, the process can take many years and patients often continue to experience disabling pain. Extended painful episodes of longer than three months often leads patients to seek a surgical solution for their pain.
Several surgical techniques have been devised to attempt to stabilize the spinal motion segment. Some of these methods include: heating the annular region to destroy nerve endings and strengthen the annulus; applying rigid or semi-rigid support members on the sides of the motion segment or within the disc space; removing and replacing the entire disc with a non-flexible, articulating artificial device; removing and replacing the nucleus; and spinal fusion involving permanently fusing the vertebra adjacent the affected disc.
Until recently, spinal fusion has generally been regarded as the most widely used treatment to alleviate back pain due to degenerative disc disease. Most spinal fusion techniques utilize some form of rigid metal stabilizing mechanism, such as the BAK spinal cage, that fixes the mechanical relationship between the adjacent vertebra. Some investigational fusion devices similar to metal fusion cages are being manufactured from cortical bone. Two of these biological fusion devices are the PLIF Spacer, for posterior lumbar interbody fusion, and the FRA Spacer, for anterior lumbar interbody fusion.
While spinal fusion treatment is effective at relieving back pain, all discal motion is lost in the fused spinal motion segment. The loss of motion in the affected spinal segment necessarily limits the overall spinal mobility of the patient. Ultimately, the spinal fusion places greater stress on the discs adjacent the fused segment as these segments attempt to compensate for lack of motion in the fused segment, often leading to early degeneration of these adjacent spinal segments.
Current developments are focusing on treatments that can preserve some or all of the motion of the affected spinal segment. One of these methods to stabilize the spinal motion segment without the disadvantages of spinal fusion is total disc replacement. Total disc replacement involves removing the cartilaginous end plates between the vertebral bone and the disc, large portions of the outer annulus and the complete inner nucleus. If the entire disc is removed, typically an artificial prosthesis is placed in the disc space. Many of the artificial disc prosthesis currently available consist of a soft polymer to act as the nucleus. The soft polymer is interposed between two metal plates that are anchored or attached to the vertebral endplates. Examples of these layered total disc replacement devices are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,911,718, 5,458,643, 5,545,229 and 6,533,818, which are herein incorporated by reference.
An alternative to total disc replacement is nuclear replacement. Like the artificial disc prosthetics, these nuclear replacements are also inert, somewhat flexible, non-biological prosthetics. The procedure for implanting a nuclear replacement is less invasive than the procedure for a total disc replacement and generally includes the removal of only the nucleus and replacement of the nucleus with a prosthetic that may be malleable and provide cushioning that mimics a natural disc nucleus. Several of this disc replacement prosthetics utilize a hydrogel material because of the similarity of hydrogel to certain of the properties of a natural disc nucleus. Examples of the prosthetics used for nuclear replacement are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,772,287, 5,192,326, 5,919,235 and 6,726,721, which are herein incorporated by reference.
Although prosthetic devices have provided significant advances in the treatment of degenerative disc disease, almost all of these prosthetic devices suffer from the challenges of being non-biological devices. It would be desirable to provide for devices and techniques that can advance the treatment of degenerative disc disease without incurring the problems inherent in implanting a non-biological device.